Abstract Stage
by Ziven
Summary: "Marik is making a desperate gambit in a very small window of time that is closing quickly. Though he's trying to convince his prey that he's going to be successful, the truth is that his story is in danger of being buried in the struggle between the Pharaoh and The Darkness." -Thornshipping, Anzu x Yami Marik- for the YGO fanfiction contest. Rating for Mature themes.


**Pairings: **This is supposed to be Thornshipping (Anzu x Yami/Dark Marik), though there are a couple other potential implications in here.

**Premise: **I'd rather not give this one away here. I think you can catch on.

**Summary: **_"No, Marik's character is making a desperate gambit in a very small window of time that is closing quickly. Though he's trying to convince his prey that he's going to be successful, the truth is that his story is in danger of being buried in the struggle between the Pharaoh and The Darkness."_

**Continuity: **This is an AU, but is heavily intertwined with DM continuity; in some weird place between anime and real life.

**Warnings: **Non-con. :(

**Notes: **Scene references taken Episodes 74 and 89 of the English YGO DM series, and perhaps one or two things from the episodes in between.

Welp, this round was very challenging for me. I'm not going to lie. For the first time in this Season of the contest, I'm afraid I'll have to go with an AU. I usually only try to reserve those for when I'm having difficulty fitting something into the canon (not that that's the only reason to write AU; I just enjoy challenging myself with canon connectivity), and I have no shame in admitting that one above is something I find difficult.

Yami Marik is just one of those plot devices (I'm afraid he's not really a character, in my opinion) whose head is difficult to get into so far as I'm concerned. That's probably because he's already a part of someone else's head. To me, this pairing is difficult in canon without going through the 'trigger heavy' route, and with good reason - being a murderous _Id_ who revels in making others suffer is difficult to portray in any other way. That can get boring after a while of the same repetitive plot (particularly on – kidnapping, mind slave based non-con), so I tried to add a spin to mine. I don't think that I can function without some connection to the canon, however, so we'll see how well I do in this AU. Thanks to everyone who's been supportive with the feedback and responses.

* * *

Shooting conditions were less than desirable. Wind howled in the ears of both crew and talent, and Anzu Mazaki wondered why they didn't just wait until tomorrow. What good would the scene be on tape if no one could be heard over the weather?

She brought the issue up to the guys mounted on the microphones, but they assured her that the equipment was more than adequate to handle the situation. It wasn't difficult to see that they weren't concerned with her wishes or desires, anyway; she wasn't important to them. If perhaps Seto or Yami had decided to complain about it, then perhaps they'd ask Direction to postpone the scene. Only the A-list co-workers, those with characters named after them, had any clout.

Anzu Mazaki wasn't a big name yet. Even her character was hated by the fanbase; though she was often told that any publicity was good publicity, she hadn't been about to shake her doubts about her place in all of this. Being ignored by Recording wasn't helping, especially while they were on set.

"Anzu, are you ready?" A hand clamped down on her shoulder to catch her attention. "You look nervous."

She found herself looking up to meet the eyes of the man who had her in his grasp, and smiled. Normally, Anzu could hear coattails fluttering behind him to announce his arrival. Seto Kaiba was in no such attire today; he wasn't filming, and that meant comfortable wear. It was strange to see a smile on his normally stoic face, jogging pants and a T-shirt on the man who was so very often the cold-hearted CEO. When they'd first met, Anzu had trouble believing that he could pull off the part. Now it was hard imagining Seto as anyone else other than the calculating head of Kaiba Corp.

Taking a deep breath, Anzu forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just a little worried about the wind."

Seto's other hand carried a bottle of water, and he held it out to her. "I think it'll be okay." He paused. "You look a little pale. Are _you_ alright? Don't be afraid to ask for a moment if you need it before they start."

Anzu giggled, trying to seem more confident as she accepted the gift. After all, if she couldn't convince him that she was well, what sort of actress was she? "I won't. I always get the jitters before we do a scene." To throw him off, she mixed in a bit of the truth. "It's hard not thinking about how everyone's going to take my character when I'm on screen. I'm not very well liked."

Snickering filled the air for a moment before Seto cleared his throat. "Are you kidding? Believe me, they're not as important as you think. Of course, we wouldn't be doing this without them – but they're crazy. Do you know what age group supports us?"

She'd seen the statistics from the previous Seasons. They were all well aware of who they were aiming at, and who was watching instead. "…I know, but…"

"No, no. You don't. We've got middle aged mothers and college students, Anzu. We've got women who think Yami and Yuugi belong in some sort of sexual fantasy together. Put it out of your mind. You wouldn't be here if we didn't need you. And the attention is good however you slice it. At least your place is secure. Honda's lucky he still has a job." His face was serious, then.

Anzu sighed. He had a good point.

The foretelling squeak of a loudspeaker being turned on gave her pause. "PLACES! EVERYONE, PLACES PLEASE!" She covered her ears and glanced around. Across the street, on the sidewalk where she should have been standing, the area was clear.

Another smile flashed by her for just a moment as Marik passed her. "You ready?" He moved too quickly for her to answer, breaking into a jog. Ryou was moving into place, too, the Millennium Ring jingling around his neck. Seto beamed at her as she left to join them.

New to the series, and hired in only for this Season, Marik had proven to be a brilliant addition to their team. Casting had named him as absolutely terrifying in his audition, and his beguiling voice and appearance had done more than enough to convince them that he could do a good job as their villain. Since then, Anzu had been amazed at his skill. Despite his small form (and his ridiculous character attire), he was still good at playing the part of a spoiled boy trying to take over the world. He made the role believable for her. Téa was a person that she felt that she could never be, and it seemed from the very moment she'd begun working on this project that every other person was plainly destined for their roles – even Honda, with his dwindling popularity, couldn't be replaced by anyone else. There was no one else who could _be_ Tristan Taylor, no doubt about that.

As she crossed the street, Anzu wondered how many people were impeded by this street being blocked off for this scene. This was one of the last street-side scenes for the Season, luckily, so the guilt of halting everyday traffic was quickly fading. In the beginning they'd blocked off an entire park and the surrounding streets to film a few duels, so in her mind this was much more reasonable. Anzu hadn't been part of such a large production before, and some of the larger scale aspects of this show, from its worldly themes to the diverse array of characters, still amazed her sometimes. Without this opportunity, she never would have been to the desert. Never before had she had to combine physical and voice acting. For a show about card games, it had a larger following than she'd ever expected she'd auditioned. Their budget had only gotten bigger since the Duelist Kingdom Arc.

This scene was simple: Ryou was hurt, Marik having found him and delivered him to Joey Wheeler and herself – Téa Gardner. Solomon would take him to the hospital and no one would know that they were being tricked. She only had three lines.

_Don't think about that,_ she told herself. She needed to deliver them with confidence.

The megaphone blared. "ALRIGHT, LET'S TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS IN ONE TAKE, ALRIGHT? IGNORE THE WIND – WE CAN HEAR YOU." There was a pause. "ACTUALLY, LET'S TEST THAT. RYOU, GIVE US A WHIMPER."

Bringing an arm to his forehead in a dramatized fashion, Ryou feigned injury. "_Oh…_" His voice was soft, and Anzu could barely pick it up. The two men on the mounted microphones signaled with thumbs up, and so did the crew members working at the film station. They were going ahead with this apparently. If they could pick up Ryou's soft voice, then it was likely that they could pick up anything. The problem, Anzu thought, would be with potential interference. Processing and Editing wasn't her job, though, so she decided to let the matter rest. It wasn't up to her.

The scene began without a hitch. Ryou was moaning in pain and Marik offered him up as planned. Then he and Solomon got into a "taxi" and were out for the rest of the scene. The Director had them wait in silence for four seconds after the car left the scene before they began speaking.

Jounouchi, whose lines were first, was on cue with his usual enthusiasm. "Hey, thanks a lot …uh, fella!"

Anzu did her best to seem matronly, as was her role, her hands crossing as she horned in to correct her rude friend. "What he _means_ to say is that we haven't introduced ourselves."

"I'm Namu," Marik said casually. "And you are?"

"The name's Joey."

Two down, one to go. "I'm Téa." She leaned in, smiling brightly to express her gratitude. "Thanks for all your help." It took all of her willpower to not correct her own grammar.

Marik added cheerfully, "Mhm. Of course. I just did what anyone would've done."

Jou straightened his shoulders. "Hm? Is that a Duel Disk on your arm?"

"Uh, yes." Here, it was Marik's job to sound successfully deceptive. "But I'm afraid I'm not much of a duelist… you're not challenging me to a Duel, are you Joey?" His smile was less bright now, slightly more sinister.

_Premature_, Anzu thought. _Not yet._

"I don't have to duel," Jou informed him, " 'cuz I already qualify for the Finals, Namu."

"Wow! Impressive! You _must_ be good!"

Anzu kept her smile in place, waiting patiently, but it was hard to ignore Marik's pitch; it was all over the place. Too enthused. These lines weren't difficult to deliver – was something bothering him? Was anyone going to stop him?

"Maybe you can give me some tips one day."

_Nope_, Anzu concluded. _Time is money_. It was entirely possible that she was taking her role too seriously – after all, many of them had been at this business for quite a while. Marik was allowed an off day or two. And what if she was wrong, anyway? So focused on her lack of significance that she was nitpicking at others' work?

"…well, I'll see if I can fit you in!" Jounouchi lifted his chin, turning on that cheeky grin that made him look self-important. The cameras were circling to get multiple angles of his expression, and Anzu kept her eyes locked on Marik's. He seemed at ease, in spite of what she thought she'd heard in his voice.

Marik tilted his head to the side, and blinked a few times. "Mm. I feel as though I've met you before." His voice was appropriately pensive, and Anzu stopped scrutinizing him. She was being paranoid.

"Yeah, I know what y'mean," Jou trailed off, feigning care before adding another smirk. "Smell ya later, Namu."

"Nice meeting you two."

Anzu delivered her last line with gusto as she and Jou prepared to turn and leave, cameras already swirling out of the way for the shot. "Totally."

They took quite a few steps before the megaphone blared again. "THAT'S SCENE, GUYS. THANKS." There was a pause. A part of Anzu's heart ached; it would be the last scene she spoke in for quite some time – she was being kidnapped and brainwashed by Marik for the next several scenes, strapped to a chair with no lines. She would have to wear those contacts that gave her blank pupils – she hated those.

"WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF DAYLIGHT, PEOPLE! RISHID, WE'RE PULLING YOU FOR THE NEXT SCENE WITH MARIK. IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO GET IT OUT OF THE WAY WHILE WE CAN. WE NEED TO GET YAMI AND YUUGI AND MOKUBA DOWN HERE ON SET – WE'RE GETTING THE HARBOR BLOCKED OFF AS WE SPEAK. SETO'S ALREADY ON SET, I HEARD. SOMEONE GET HIM INTO WARDROBE AND MAKE UP! JOUNOUCHI AND ANZU, YOU TOO."

Those contacts were coming sooner than she would have liked.

The good news was that they only needed a few shots of her with the contacts, and most of them were tied to a chair, or her struggling just a bit against Marik's "Millennium Magic". The bad news – all of those scenes were silent and they made her feel so very unimportant. Stock footage is pretty much what they ended up taking of her.

Yami was more than upset being pulled on site for another scene – he was supposed to have this day off – and complained to the Director for several minutes about the short notice. Yuugi wasn't happy about it, either, but he was much better rolling with the punches than his brother. _At least you get screen time that's worthwhile,_ Anzu gushed to herself. _At least they'll be excited to see you._

Seto seemed more than happy to reprise his role. He was bursting with energy, even though he had very few lines and would have to go into voice work to complete the ones he had for the scene. His job was, for the duration of Yami's duel with Jounouchi, to just look disapproving and unimpressed. After a few shots of all of them standing and watching the duel – along with a little sideline commentary – they were all dismissed with the exception of the two Duelists.

Marik was waiting patiently near the trailers, arms crossed.

"Tough time today?" Seto inquired.

Mokuba, who had been leaving the set with them, seemed uninterested in hearing the conversation and brushed right past everyone with a curt, "Good job."

Those lavender eyes looked anything but calm as they landed first on Seto and then slid over to Anzu. They settled on her and then Marik frowned. "Yeah. Evil I can do. Good, not so much." For a moment, those eyes looked vulnerable. Then they looked down and away. "Either of you got a cigarette?"

Since it was evident that he was nervous, Anzu didn't mind telling him that she never had any. "I—"

"We don't smoke," Seto spoke for the both of them, "but I can run and get you some if you want." It was something that everyone should have known by now, but considering how busy the day had started out it wouldn't have been the first thing on anyone's mind.

Marik shifted, heaving a sigh. "No, that's fine. I'll just find an intern."

Seto shook his head. "It's fine. I'll go. Just relax. You have to do Voice work tonight, too, right? They'll kill us if you get more than one or two."

Relenting, Marik nodded. "Two. Okay."

It only took a few seconds for Seto's long strides to have him several feet away. Personnel were rushing about, but no one was paying attention to the two of them, so Anzu felt comfortable speaking. "You did well."

"I did _well enough_," Marik shot back. "There's a difference, and I know it." He opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it instead.

Clearly, there was something on his mind that was distracting him from the job. If Anzu could help him feel better about it, perhaps she'd feel a little better as well; worth a little more. "Well, what's got you upset?"

"Dark Marik's coming up soon. I'll have to be him full time after I make the transition for the rest of the Season until the end." His voice sounded strained.

"Isn't that good? Evil is what you're good at, right?" Anzu had, of course, read through the entire script for the remainder of the season. It wasn't as though she had very many parts to memorize, and since they wouldn't be difficult it made more than enough sense to be familiar with the storyline. Dark Marik seemed to be the role that Marik had been hired to bring to life; she'd listened to the voice samples and he sounded brilliant.

Sighing, Marik fidgeted. "Anzu… have you ever had trouble getting into the head of a character?"

"Of course I have. Everybody has." Téa Gardner, had become her easiest role to date. Aside from the magic and the cards, she was a person that Anzu would have wanted to aspire to be. Kind, understanding and friendly – that was why it hurt so much that no one liked her.

"Well, I don't. Not when they're evil. There's a trick to it. You just… stop caring."

That didn't sound anything like what she'd expected. It wasn't something that she could do, in any case. But if it was his method, maybe she could learn something from it. "What do you mean?"

"To be evil, you have to stop caring about the things that you currently do." Pushing himself away from the trailer's side, Marik took a step closer to her. "What if you didn't have to care about any laws? What if you could exact revenge on anyone who had ever done you wrong? If you could have whatever you wanted? What if no one could stop you from doing _anything_?"

His hand moved swiftly, reaching for Anzu and she flinched. Marik shrugged, fingers pushing into her hair to caress behind her ear and the side of her neck. A flutter of fear swelled within her chest and she stepped back, feeling strange and somehow violated despite the benign gesture.

Chuckling in dark tones as he pulled his hand away, Marik smiled. "When you behave as though another is powerless to stop you, there is pressure for those around you to feel helpless. After all, if you cannot be stopped, what does that make them? It's in the confidence. It's in making others feel helpless. You have to stop caring about what they want and how they feel. It isn't as important as what _you_ feel. "

Marik stepped back again. "The problem is that, to be at my most effective, I have to make myself feel unstoppable. It's a difficult state to attain to act properly. I can't just go around treating people like garbage – not without invoking some sort of lawsuit, anyway."

Although Anzu didn't fully understand why it required such an extreme method, there was no denying how uncomfortable she felt. She was still hugging herself when Seto returned.

* * *

The next week went by a bit more painfully than she wanted. Not for her, of course – but for Marik. Voice retakes were typical, and to get the right inflection Production often pieced repetitions together. But the acting, it wasn't up to par. It seemed that the closer they were getting to Dark Marik's unveiling, the more he was falling apart at the seams. There wasn't anything wrong with his lines, so to speak – there was just a lack of intimidation to his form, a certain imposition that was missing. The schedule was picking up, and Direction wanted to film the entire Battle City Finals before changing location and flying out for their "Noah's Arc" location. It left them little more than a week and a half more for Marik to get himself together, and Direction was growing more frustrated with him by the second. The remainder of filming would have to be done in Dark Marik's character, and if he couldn't get himself together…

He was smoking about a pack a day, by Anzu's count. It was causing tension with the others, too. Yami hated re-taking scenes more a few times, and aside from a few jokes Marik was adding nearly ten retakes to every scene.

_I'm just imagining things_, she told herself. It didn't stop her from being curious about his methods.

That was how she ended up following Bakura back to his trailer after one particularly strenuous day of filming. Marik and Bakura had quite the chemistry when they were working together. Though Marik's skills were still a little lackluster they fared much better when playing off of one another, Anzu had noticed.

"Hey, Bakura, can I… talk to you?"

He started, whipping around and rolling his eyes. "_Please_," he growled. "I'm always on edge after shooting. Could you be a little more obvious about your presence, please?" The kohl on his eyes made his expressions more dramatic. Anzu found it difficult to avoid giggling at his grimace; he looked a bit like a clown with bat wings for hair.

But she was polite instead. "I'm sorry, Bakura. I just—I'm worried about Marik."

Brown eyes rolled, but he motioned for her to follow him. They passed hurrying personnel on their way to his trailer in the back. Though he was a main character, he preferred to be secluded. His trailer was always furthest from the set, and from what Anzu had seen on earlier trips was often dark on the inside, lit only candles and paper lanterns. It looked like some sort of strange exhibit. Indeed, when they entered, it was just the same as she remembered, though the furniture inside seemed a little more accommodating. There was now an expensive-looking wooden love seat with posh upholstery in a bright red color. A sweet, cloying scent hung to the air.

Anzu felt a little uncomfortable, all things considered; the dim lights reminded her of Ryou's character – occult trappings and black magic. She half expected a Ouija board to be sitting in the chair opposite.

"You're more like Ryou than I thought," she said.

Bakura smiled. "I suppose. I simply like this sort of atmosphere. It's a bit… romantic, don't you think?" His teeth seemed to pick up every scrap of dim light in the room, glinting menacingly. "But I can turn the lamp on if you'd like."

She was quite ready to take him up on that offer, in all honesty. But it wasn't her right to tell Bakura how to work or live. He didn't make her feel uncomfortable – he was actually quite friendly. She had nothing to fear. "It's alright. I just… I wanted to ask a question."

"Please, sit." As though he were reading her mind, Bakura sat down in the chair on the other side of the room, forcing a bit of distance between them. It was the best option, she felt, with the lights all dimmed like that.

In hindsight, Anzu wondered if he simply didn't want to sit next to her, but she sat anyway.

"Go on. Oh – would you like some tea?" It was even stranger to hear such a raspy voice be so polite.

"I'm fine, actually." Anzu shook her head. Tea wasn't really her preference, but she didn't want to tell him that; she felt it would disappoint him. "I just wanted to ask you – how do you get into Bakura's character? Is it difficult? You see, I was speaking to Marik the other day and… and he told me how he worked. It's… very different."

Bakura paused for a moment. "I see."

"He said he needed to …well… make other people feel terrible to feel truly evil."

White brows narrowed. "That is one way of doing it."

"And that it's about not caring."

"Hm."

Silence settled between them for a few moments, and Anzu worried that she had offended him. "I know it's not my place to worry about him and his methods," she added hastily, "but I was just wondering if you work differently, and if it would help."

Nodding slowing, Bakura finally answered. "It explains why we work so well together. We have similar methods, although I suppose I could say I'm better at compartmentalizing than he is. You have to remember – I have my brother here. Yami has Yuugi. He's essentially two separate people, and – have you read the script? Are you aware of what happens to his character?" His pointed gaze told her she hadn't expected to know.

So her answer was quite proud. "I've read the entire season's script, Bakura."

"Oh, have you? I'm impressed. Good for you. You're well on your way." He smiled for a moment before his expression sobered. "But you see what I mean, yes? His job is a bit more difficult. He's only here for the Season, as well. There's a lot of pressure for him to show his best right here and now. It can be difficult to grapple with. Personally, I try to have fun with it. Bakura is a person I would never allow myself to be. It's relieving to have a devil-may-care attitude and only do things for myself for short spurts. And I think that Bakura – the character – has fun, too. Win or Lose, it's all in the chase, and he's managed to postpone his for five thousand years. That's quite a game of cat-and-mouse. He may as well enjoy it."

Having it put like that, Anzu faced a very stark realization. "…Marik… Dark Marik's character isn't like that at all."

"Good girl. You _did_ read it, then." Bakura leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin in his hands. "No, Marik's character is making a desperate gambit in a very small window of time that is closing quickly. Though he's trying to convince his prey that he's going to be successful, the truth is that his story is in danger of being buried in the struggle between the Pharaoh and The Darkness." He pointed to himself. "That would be me. The truth is, however, that he was never meant to be. He was not a part of Destiny's plan, and he is snatching up attention by the handfuls. If he does not succeed, no one will remember him. His pain and suffering mean nothing. Servants are never remembered—"

A hard knock sounded at the trailer door. "Bakura? You in there?"

"Ah, yes. Just a moment."

Left lonely for the few seconds it took for Bakura to reach the door, Anzu considered what she could do to help.

That moment was fleeting, and soon Marik was seated next to her on the couch. "You normally don't have company, Bakura. Becoming civilized? What a shame." He flashed a predatory smile at Anzu – or was it the lighting? – and continued. "Or am I interrupting a date? You've got the lights off, I see."

Bakura frowned as he reclaimed his seat. "Actually, Anzu here was wondering how to help you slip into Dark Marik's character a bit more." The frown quickly turned into a smile as pale fingers intertwined in his lap.

Anzu was beginning to feel the same way that she did when she watched them conducting a scene, and she looked down just in time to avoid Marik's shocked stare. She hadn't thought Bakura would out her so abruptly. Wringing her hands, she tried to make a decision on whether or not she should leave. Marik may not want her help, after all, and she was prying where she didn't belong.

It seemed that he seemed to be thinking the same thing that she did. "…I see," he said, rising from the couch just as soon as he'd settled in. "I'll let you two continue your conversation, then. No sense in joining in if I wasn't invited in the first place."

Snorting, Bakura spat, "You _weren't_."

Anzu was unable to hold in her gasp of surprise. "_Bakura!_ That is _not_ what I meant! Marik—" But he was already by the door and leaving, slamming it behind him.

"He _better_ not have broken that." Bakura sounded downright murderous. "Or it'll be coming out of his paycheck."

"Why would you say that to him?" Were the two of them feuding? Why would Marik have come by to visit, if that was the case? None of this made sense to her. Never in her life had Bakura ever been so rude.

Chocolate eyes blinked several times in rapid succession, and after a final time it seemed that Bakura was finally _looking _at her. "What?"

"There was no reason for you to be so mean!" she all but shouted at him. "You didn't have to say anything if he was going to be offended."

Those same brown eyes rolled away from her. "You're being dramatic, and it's not your strong suit, dearie. He's not offended."

"Then what was all that just now? What's wrong with the two of you?"

Bakura smirked. "That, love, was a jumpstart. Thank you for helping. I didn't expect it to happen so soon, honestly. His visit was a godsend. Watch him tomorrow. He'll be better."

As strange as the premonition had seemed, it had come true. Marik seemed raring to go the following morning, much to the delight of the crew members. Unfortunately, the sunny weather in Domino made it difficult for them to continue shooting the Finals, as dark clouds were required for the scenery. Direction decided that it would be easier for Editing to lighten up shots in the dark rather than darken scenes shot during the day. Even after more than twelve hours of shooting, well into the night, Marik was more than ready to make the transition into his 'darker half'.

When Marik chuckled, glaring eyes singling her out among Yami and Yuugi's crowd of friends, her heart fluttered in admiration as well as fright.

"I'm the _true_ Marik, and I'm not as kind as the one you've come to know. I'm going to finish the job that he couldn't complete, and strip you of your powers. For I deserve to be Pharaoh, not you. So get ready for the real battle, and when I'm through with you, your Puzzle will be around _my_ neck, where it belongs. And you will be trapped forever in the Realm of Eternal Darkness, along with your _friends_ and Odion as well."

Jou was great at rushing in head first, which was just like his character. Joey would waste no time in telling off the new challenger. "Hey pal, get a life!"

"You fool. Thanks to Odion's failure, I now have a life. Of course by failing Odion did prove one thing: Only a Chosen few can control the Egyptian God Cards; Kaiba, you're one."

Tail coat fluttering behind him (with the excuse of supposedly being on board a ship), he did a great job of looking unfazed by the current events. "Marik, I'm tired of hearing these Egyptian Fairy Tales. I control _Obelisk the Tormentor_ because I am a Master Duelist."

_Classic Kaiba, _Anzu thought.

"Heh. Don't deny your ancient past. You'll find you can't escape your Five Thousand year old memories. You'll learn in good time, Kaiba. Your role in this game runs much deeper than you can imagine. However, that won't matter once I take over."

His energy absolutely ruled over the set, and he strode forward until he and Yami were separated by only a few steps. For just a moment, Anzu wondered if they were going to start fighting. Yami even looked a bit intimidated.

"Yuugi, the battle for the Pharaoh's power will begin right now; a conflict Five Thousand years in the making, and there's no turning back!" He chuckled, his intent now made clear. So sure was he of his own success that there were no qualms about disclosing his plans. "The Great Egyptian God Monsters will serve and protect me while I rule the Earth as the new Pharaoh!" The laughter that followed was overly dramatic and sounded as a herald of their destruction.

"AND SCENE! THAT'S IT FOR TONIGHT, GUYS! GO TO BED! PROPS! MAKE SURE THE AREA IS SECURED FOR TOMORROW!"

As they were departing, Direction decided on a schedule shift – all of the Finals scenes would be shot at night until they reach the Stadium – at least until Dark Marik was defeated. If there were any sudden shifts, they'd be notified a day in advance. Workable conditions, although Anzu would have to get used to it.

She didn't feel very good about making someone angry so that they could perform, but seeing Dark Marik, terrifying and ready to terrorize the other characters was mesmerizing. Makeup and Wardrobe helped add to the effect, of course. She could immediately see the reason why he was hired.

_I should find him and apologize_.

But when she tried to approach him, he turned on tip toe and strode away, cape swirling behind him from the force of it.

"Looks like you made someone maaaaaad," Yami teased as he passed her.

That familiar hand was on her shoulder again, this time with a shadow that announced her comforter's height as he stood next to her. "Everything alright?"

Talking to Seto when he was… being Kaiba… was always weird. "Ah… yeah. It's fine." She had to remember to look up at him.

"You sure?"

She didn't know how to explain it to him. Things weren't okay because he was angry, but they were because she had, in the end, helped him. How else could she put it? "Yeah."

"Well, we're going out for drinks a little later on. You're welcome to join us."

That struck her as a bit strange. "But you don't drink, Seto."

"I don't have to. Fun with friends doesn't require drinks. We'll probably end up at my place after since I live nearby. Since Mai'll be with us for the next few days again I thought I'd call her up. Ishizu should be there, too."

Although Anzu loved being included in these gatherings because they helped her feel more valued, her heart wasn't in it. "…maybe I'll meet up with you guys when you're on your way there. I don't like bars or clubs much."

"Alright. Well, call when you're heading over." Tugging at his coat, Seto fumbled with the buttons. "I_ have _to get out of this thing. _God…_" Then he was gone, joined by Yami and Ryuuji. Laughter echoed their exit.

That left Anzu to head back to her own trailer alone. She almost decided to pay Marik a visit again, but she was sure that he didn't want to see her and thought better of it. _Maybe_, she told herself, _he just liked being angry._ It was unlikely, but maybe necessary. Dark Marik wasn't a fun character, as Bakura pointed out, and he was right. She tried to put herself in his shoes, playing a character who was perpetually angry, holding a grudge that wouldn't fade until he was removed from existence.

It was not something that she could do. Anger was not something that came naturally to her; at least, not that sort of anger. Anzu had been her fair share of upset wives, snarky waitresses and the like – but the sort of hatred that Dark Marik had to give off was something that she would never be capable of.

Though the ride back to the studio was frustratingly slow, there was a surprise waiting for her in front of her trailer. As though some clever writer had conjured it, Marik stood there, forcing their confrontation. Just when she'd thought that perhaps it would be better to avoid him.

"You took your time getting back," he said. He did not look happy, though that may have been the makeup. This was still Dark Marik; even the cape fluttered in the nighttime breeze.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me."

"I didn't, but I knew you did and I had a moment of weakness. I suppose I had it coming, after that shoot."

She tried to lead things with a compliment. "It was really good. You were pretty scary."

But Marik played modest. "You think so?" It was nice to know that, even when he could see his own improvement, he didn't flaunt it.

Unlocking the door to her trailer, Anzu motioned for him to follow her inside. The main area was furnished with two run of the mill couches, red in color with a plaid design – she didn't need anything fancy - with a small side table off to the right side towards to the driver's seat. The curtains on the windows matched her couch upholstery.

"I don't think I've ever been in here before," Marik told her. His cape swished behind him.

Anzu was not good with holding in her feelings. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for yesterday." She took a seat on the couch, near the side table. "I should have talked to you about it instead of asking someone else."

He took the seat next to her. "No, no. I knew what you meant by it. I just… I needed to be angry. I talked to Bakura just now, after filming. I knew that he was going to tell me that you weren't at fault. If I'd talked to him earlier I wouldn't have a reason to be upset, and then…"

Sighing happily, Anzu smiled. "I'm glad that I was able to help you. You were brilliant, really."

"And I have you to thank. Bakura too, I guess. Sort of."

Things were beginning to fall into that awkward silence, so Anzu offered, "Did you want anything while you were here? I've got a little food in the fridge from today's set, and some water or tea or…"

Marik leaned forward, clasping her hands in his. "Thank you, Anzu."

Was that tension in the air in her head? She wasn't sure what to do here. Her heart fluttered in her chest, but while she felt mildly uncomfortable with their proximity a part of her was relieved that she wasn't angry. What did he want her to do? People never really got this close, unless…

"Ah, I'm sorry," he said, pulling back. "I'm being rude." He released her hands.

Strangely enough, she rather missed his grip. "It's… okay. I'm just glad that you did well today."

The way that he looked at her made his intent obvious. "You're just like your character, you know," he said. "Polite and oblivious."

That was insulting, but Anzu took it in stride. She'd clearly judged things correctly moments ago. "I'm not. I… I just don't do well in these situations. Not everyone can be mean and channel that into acting brilliantly."

Marik's smile, once again, looked menacing in all that makeup and hair. "Well, you wanted to help me. Few people have wanted to help before. It's very… enchanting of you."

"I think that if everyone does their best we can all a part of something we can be proud of."

"Will you help me, then?"

She was pretty sure that didn't mean what it sounded like. "….how?" No tricks. Anzu wasn't going to blindly agree to anything.

The chuckle that answered her sent a small tingle crawling across her arms. "A kiss," he said, "since I must be so plain."

Anzu wasn't sure if that was the best idea. She didn't want to get involved with anyone on the set – not in her first popular production. It just didn't seem like a good move.

"…and then I want you to hit me."

Weird. "What?" Too weird.

But Marik seemed unfazed by her awe, shifting a bit closer. "I mean it. I want you to kiss me and then hit me. I need a reason to be angry tomorrow – this is perfect."

Though anger wasn't her strong suit, honesty was. "I… I don't think I could be comfortable with that. What if there's something on your face? They'll know something happened, and we'll lose time recording, and…"

Her heartbeat sky rocketed when he took hold of her hand again. When she tried to pull it away, he held onto it, lips quickly pressing a kiss to the back of her palm. Anzu chuckled nervously as he pulled her close and held her there in an embrace. For the first few seconds, she was in panic, but when he made no further move she gently extracted herself from him. He was starting to scare her.

"You're quite kind, Anzu. Thank you." He rose, backing away from her, and headed to the door.

She followed him, unsure whether or not her rejection would be enough. "I… I'm sorry." Anzu felt as though she were disappointing him somehow.

As she reached toward the door, Marik moved quickly; grabbing her wrist and whipping her around to face him. His lips were on her before she could stop him, and he wasted no time in pressing their bodies tight together. Anzu's fists beat against his arms, nails digging in and scratching. He didn't react, so she kicked him hard. Trying to avoid it he stepped back, and she swung at him. Her open palm landed square on his cheek.

"What are you doing?!" she screamed at him, even though she knew exactly what. "This isn't the way to get what you want." Maybe he was desperate for inspiration, but this wasn't the Marik she'd gotten to know. He was better than this.

"I told you, Anzu. You have to take what you want if you want someone else to feel helpless."

"You're… you're an asshole."

When he stepped forward, Anzu was on her guard, ready to swing, but he grabbed both of her wrists. "Stop."

"No, _you_ stop." She tried to jerk out of his grasp, but she couldn't. "Let go of me."

"Kiss me," he said.

"Are you kidding me? No!" When she tried to kick him again, he side stepped her, twirling her as he did so. She almost lost her balance. They stood like that for quite some time, Anzu unwilling to lose her balance. Marik had no trouble avoiding her now. So finally, she asked, "You're really willing to throw away a working relationship with the only co-worker who actually cared about your success?"

"I'd like to hope it's not unsalvageable," he chuckled back. "I do like you, after all."

A part of her still hoped that this was some cruel joke of his. "If I kiss you, I swear to god we'll never speak again."

"Really? Is that true?"

"You think I'm lying?"

"I think you're brave. Much braver than Téa." He let go of her, and Anzu stumbled back. "But I would really like that kiss."

Shaking her head, Anzu considered calling security. But that would be a scandal that they couldn't handle. Why did Marik have to be such an asshole about this? Was it worth it to be angry enough to act out a scene? "If …if I do, will you leave and never come back."

"I suppose I'll have no reason to. I can't intimidate you if I can't talk to you, can I?"

This admission made Anzu sad – he was genuinely a good actor. She would have liked to be friends or at least friendly work colleagues. But if all she was to him was a source of muse, then. "Fine. Fine. But that's it. If that's really what you're going to pick."

"I'll pick my career any day."

Somehow, that wasn't what she had expected, and she was disappointed by his answer. Anzu was so angry that she was near tears. "_Fine_," she growled, and took another step towards him. He wanted to be a jerk? Then he could be a jerk, then. "FINE!" she shouted, leaning into him. Their lips met for a second time. Anzu managed to hold herself back, didn't press into him with all of her dulled rage; she wanted him to know that she was disappointed. She barely responded to his movement, didn't resist when he parted her lips. Her body was rigid, unyielding.

This was a man she had once admired. Now, he was pathetic.

Anzu felt his hands begin to roam, and she snatched her lips away. "Look, I didn't say—"

Lavender eyes stared at her pointedly. "You're not upset anymore, are you?" Despite the kohl, there was something there, a small shine that made him look remorseful.

He didn't seem to be taking her seriously. "I'm ashamed for you." To make her point sting, she mixed in a half truth: "I _did_ actually like you. Now that's wasted."

She felt a caress on her upper thigh, and suppressed a small shiver. "That chance is gone, Marik; it's not happening. Now leave." Anzu twisted away, but he maneuvered her backward, pinning her to the trailer door with his body. She shoved against him, but he pushed back forcefully. It hurt, and Anzu bit her lip.

"Ah, there it is. That's what I wanted; that look of worry. Remember when I ran my hands through your hair before? You did it then, too. Something about how your brows knit close together." One of his hands mimicked the motion, fingers sifting through strands of auburn hair once again.

"I hope this is worth it," Anzu spat at him. "You're _evil_. Now get off of me."

"The sad thing about this, Anzu, is that I'm not. I still care about what you think of me."

"You're not acting like it."

He pressed closer to her, and the metal outcroppings of the door's interior dug into her back. "I am, actually. But it's time to put an end to that."

One of his hands gripped the side of her torso, clutching flesh in his hands. She tried to kick him off again, and he retaliated. It was clean, quick, and Anzu was gasping for air before she'd realized it was missing.

"I think I'm going to thank you a second time. This has been quite a help for me. I'm quite glad we could both get what we wanted." His hands pressed between her thighs as she struggled for breath against him.

"Stop," she gasped, pushing against him.

Marik shrugged off her attempts as though they were nothing. He hushed her.

"It'll be okay," he told her. "You're helping me."

{FIN}

* * *

…so. Hm. I've never really done anything quite like this before, so I'm not entirely sure what to think at all. So instead of trying to sort out what's in my head, I'm going to deal with other aspects of this here. Firstly, an Abstract Stage is one in which the bare minimum is used, more so for style than realism.

I hope that this is clear, but I'll state it plainly anyways. The premise is: What if YGO were filmed like a live action show (in anime-land, I suppose). I took this as a translation straight across without muddling anything with converted names. The English names are the characters in the show, while their Japanese counterparts are the actors themselves (with a few exceptions). The yami/hikari combos are portrayed by twins and Marik, clearly, is both Marik and Dark Marik (I felt using "Dark" was appropriate to avoid confusion with Yami's name; it also fit better with everyone's character names being in English).

There are other parallels here besides the names, but I'll let you guys figure this out.

NEVER BEFORE HAVE I ENJOYED WRITING SETO KAIBA BEFORE THIS MOMENT.

There are a few inconsistencies with the naming matchups (i.e., if Bakura's name is Bakura, what is his and Ryou's last name?) that I didn't address because it wasn't really significant. I wasn't quite sure what to do with Ishizu, as I've always thought her naming process was weird, but she was only mentioned once anyway (Aishizu vs. Isis vs. Ishizu always confuses me).

I've never worked on a set for a film, so I'm sure that there are some small inconsistencies with that as well.

Thanks for reading… I feel weird about this one. Good luck to everyone else in the contest!


End file.
